Telework in BRICS: Legal, Gender and Cultural Aspects

Abstract

With the rapid development of digital technologies and globalization, telework is becoming increasingly common. For the BRICS countries, the formation of a modern legal regulation model for telework is of great importance. In drafting legislation, it is essential to take into account economic and cultural factors, as well as the need to ensure gender equality. This article presents an analysis of current trends in telework development in the BRICS countries. Its findings reveal various reasons for a growing need to regulate telework. For Brazil, the issue of ecology plays an important role; for China and India, the possibility of integration into the world economy; in Russia, the focus is still on the procedural issues concerning the conclusion and termination of employment contracts; in South Africa, the issue of ensuring not only gender equality, but also racial equality is acute. The analysis gives the authors grounds to conclude that the BRICS countries are still lagging behind the United States and the European Union in the area of telework labor law, despite its widespread prevalence. The BRICS countries do not yet produce the necessary statistics on the prevalence of telework. Issues relating to BRICS's deepening integration require the development of common approaches to regulating the work of teleworkers. The harmonization of legislation between Russia and China is of particular importance due to the territorial factor.